AI Boosts Travel Planning but Eroding Trust at Checkout Threatens Conversions
Event summary
- 81% of consumers use digital platforms for travel planning, with 26% relying on AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini.
- 47% cite payment security and 39% fake/invalid tickets as top concerns when booking online.
- 53% abandon bookings due to cumbersome identity verification steps.
- Only 17% trust AI travel bots with sensitive data like payments or passport details without human oversight.
The big picture
Riskified's survey highlights a growing disconnect between AI-driven travel planning and consumer trust in digital transactions. While AI tools are accelerating the research phase, merchants face significant challenges in maintaining conversion rates as payment security concerns and cumbersome verification processes lead to abandonment. This tension is particularly acute during peak travel seasons when fraud risks are highest.
What we're watching
- AI Trust Gap
- How travel merchants will bridge the gap between AI-assisted planning and secure checkout experiences.
- Fraud Vulnerability
- Whether discount-driven urgency will exacerbate fraud risks during peak summer travel season.
- Checkout Optimization
- The pace at which merchants can streamline identity verification without compromising security.